


Steve x Reader: Equals

by TarnisisLH



Series: Avenger Inserts [6]
Category: Captain America (Movies), The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, F/M, Feels, Fluff and Angst, Hurt/Comfort, Reader-Insert, Violence
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-05-17
Updated: 2015-05-17
Packaged: 2018-03-31 01:15:20
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,744
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3958948
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TarnisisLH/pseuds/TarnisisLH
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A top S.H.I.E.L.D Agent has a hard time letting others help to carry her load, but sometimes you need someone to help pick up the slack. </p><p>Steve/Reader angsty romance</p>
            </blockquote>





	Steve x Reader: Equals

 

 **Steve x Reader: Equals**  

* * *

 (F/n) cried out as fiery pain shot from her toes all the way up to her hip, tears automatically forming in her (e/c) eyes as she fought not to bite her tongue. She had experienced many injuries over the years, but this was surely the worst. What had started as a simple interrogation with some love-tap punches and kicks, had become a test of prowess . . . and the woman was currently losing. But this wasn’t a surprise, seeing as they had just taken a sledgehammer to her leg and shattered her Femur, Patella, and Tibia.

Being a field agent for S.H.I.E.L.D. (F/n) had been trained to withstand copious amounts of pain. But never in her life had she experienced something quite like this. Not only did the initial smashings on her leg blind her, but the pain grew with intensity the more time that passed. One would think that shock would have taken over and numbed the liquid agony coursing through her veins, but it didn’t. There was only her broken cries and the now inaudible questions from the man who was trying to get information from her.

But (F/n) had stopped being able to listen. She would probably die here, in this dark weapons hangar, with only her torturer for company as she slipped silently into the arms of death . . . And yet, that still didn’t stop the agent from trying to plan out an escape route.

She had never been one to give up easily (in fact most who knew her, thought her to be pigheaded and stubborn) but there was no realistic way to get to safety. If it had been any other injury, she might have been able to figure something out. But with a leg that was now completely useless, from her hip to her ankle, she couldn’t run away. True she could crawl, but from what she had garnered when they had dragged her into this place, they had gone several stories below the ground, and they had taken the stairs. With the gun power that these goons boasted and the distance that rested between herself and the exit, (F/n) knew that she would most likely be killed before she ever even got close. But it was worth a try. Live or die, she was a fighter, and she’d go out that way.

Or at least, that was her plan . . . until she heard a loud  _thunking_ sound, and a guttural scream that echoed throughout the hangar. . . Then before the man torturing her could react to the sudden change, the lights went out.

* * *

* * *

 * * *

  
_**Several hours earlier. . .**_  
  


 

To most outside looking in, Agent (Full name) and Captain Steve Rogers shouldn't have been together. This was due to the simple reason that they were so  _different._ And yet, the two were closer than ever- despite some clashing at regular intervals.

(F/n) was a wild card with a brazen attitude and a stubborn streak that could make Tony Stark seem reasonable. She was a crackerjack agent, but had always had a problem with authority and the orders passed down that didn’t support her own. She loved those close to her, but had never been one to bend backwards or wait for help. She did what her gut told her, and that was that.

While Steve was a natural born leader, and steadfast figure. He had never intruded upon the brash agent, but at the same time he didn’t compromise to suit her needs either. He was a man of old fashioned virtues and morals, and when it came down to it, the Captain was a pillar of unmovable strength.

So with this in mind, it was quite natural that the S.H.I.E.L.D. Agent and the Avenger didn’t always see eye to eye. But somehow, they had managed to fall in love with each other.

There had never really been an actual point in time where they had confessed their feelings, or officially became an ‘item’, but somehow it had stuck. Everyone who knew them, was aware that they stood together, and though they remained solemn in their beliefs and ways of life, the two were unquestionably devoted to one another.

On their days off, when neither had missions or objectives to attend to, they would do activities together (neither of them had ever referred to these times as dates) and bask in the other’s presence. Today was one such time, and after having a glorious lunch at a quaint little café near Central Park, the two had decided to go for a walk. It was a beautiful sunny day, and both were enjoying the peaceful serenity and surrounding beauty. It wasn’t often that they could go out into public without something to accomplish or someone to save, and it was a nice reprieve to just  _be_.

As they walked peacefully, arm in arm around a duck pond where two little girls were feeding the quacking birds, and the world seemed to be ready to let them relax. . .  But nothing so perfect can ever last, for life is never clear cut, and now was no exception.

(F/n) broke the comfortable silence with a question that had been eating at her for quite some time.

“Why, Steve?”

The man turned curious blue eyes to her. “Why what?”

The woman let an annoyed sigh escape her lips, as they now drew to the edge of the pond. “You know what.”

The First Avenger was still for a moment before his mouth turned into a small frown. “Is this about what happened last week?”

When the woman didn’t answer him, Steve raised his free hand to run anxiously through his blonde-brown hair. It was a habit that he had when he was either nervous or bothered, and right now it was a mixture of both.

“You’re still upset about that?”

“Yes, I am.” The woman wasn’t usually one for contention, but she also wasn’t one to go out of her way to stop it.  “You didn’t think, and look where it got you.”

As she said this, the woman let her hand run gingerly over the man’s chest, where a large gash was trying to heal. The week before, the Avengers had been called in to defend upper New York against a considerable threat. Several agents- (F/n) included- had already been in the area to work as both crowd control and as a defense until the supers had arrived. The woman had been fighting several of the machines that were causing the uproar (H.Y.D.R.A. had gotten rather bold with their terrorist attacks as of late) as the stealth jet had set down. Within moments the Avengers had dropped in for the rescue, and the S.H.I.E.L.D. agents had begun to back out of the fight to take care of the civilians still caught in the middle. And it was during this transition that (F/n) had been engaged. She had been shouting orders to her subordinates to clear out the remaining buildings, when she had been pushed out of harm’s way. A droid had gone for a killing shot, targeting her head. It would have decapitated her as clean as a guillotine if Steve hadn’t pushed her out of the line of fire. The laser that was her head height, had hit him square in the chest, burning him and causing the skin to open as if sliced. (F/n) had quickly taken out the droid and attended to him, and the day had been saved. But it was a fact that if he hadn’t been a super soldier the blow would have killed him.

Now a week later, due to his super human abilities (all thanks to the serum that ran through his veins) the cut was already scabbed over and healing nicely. There were still some burns around the edges, but other than that he seemed right as rain. So Steve had assumed that the incident was behind them . . . but apparently he had been wrong.

“I didn’t have to think,” Steve answered calmly as they finally stopped walking and stood face to face. “You were in danger. I acted the way I thought was best.”

“And it nearly cost you your life,” (F/n) said somewhat angrily, shaking her head as the repressed emotions began to surface. In truth she hadn’t wanted to ruin their outing, but she had to get this out, or it would become a canker that gnawed on her insides.

“I wasn’t going to sit back and watch you take the hit,” Steve said firmly, his voice level as he stared her down. “I knew I could handle it, so I jumped in.”

“I would be grateful for that, Steve,” she said after a moment. “But you’ve done it a lot lately.”

He looked confused, his brow lifting in question. “What have I been doing?”

“Jumping in,” she replied. “Saving me every chance you get, protecting me from every little thing. Honey, I love you and I’m glad that you care about me. But I’m getting stifled! I’m a big girl and can manage stuff on my own!”

Steve looked surprised by her outburst, his eyes widening before they settled into a glowing tenderness. “I just want you to be safe, (F/n). You’re reckless and I don’t want you to pay the price for that.”

“Living life means learning to pay for my mistakes, Steve.” She raised a hand to rest at his cheek, giving him a meaningful look. “I have to take the heat, because I make the choices. I’m not Cinderella, or a Damsel in Distress. I need you in my life, but not in the role of hero or knight in shining armor.”

For a long pause the Avenger was silent, taking in what she had said, before he asked, “Then what do you want me to be?”

(F/n) gave him a soft smile. “My equal, love. No more, and no less.”

 

* * *

* * *

 * * *

 

(F/n) and Steve had continued their nice walk, the mood considerably lifted after the serious heart to heart, and the two had once more fallen back into the pleasant stroll. Then as they had reached a secluded area of the giant park, they had been ambushed.

Though both were very capable in battle, they had been unprepared and without their gear. Cap was still a beast in fight, but without his shield and body suit he was limited and had to be more careful. And (F/n) was without her guns and only had her portable switchblade to deal with. Being swarmed by countless men, the two had fought valiantly. But in the end it had been too much for (F/n) and she had been dragged off, while her partner was busy defending himself. And the rest had been history. . . Until now.

As the lights of the hangar flickered off, (F/n) felt her heart rise in her chest as a smile came to spread on her bloodied face. Though her rescue was imminent, the woman still decided to leave nothing to chance, and began to squeeze out of her bindings. She had been working on them since the moment she had been tied up, and now as she no longer had to restrict the movement (due to the sudden cover of darkness). The woman put all of her effort into setting her hands free. After several agonizing moments where she could hear men shouting in the pitch blackness, and random sparks of light flying into the air as shots were fired, the female slipped her raw rubbed wrists out of the bindings. Then she leaned down and began to work on her feet. This proved more of a challenge, seeing as she had to bend completely at the middle to struggle with them. But after another minute she had untied the insane knots (thank heavens for Fury’s over the top training programs) and fell unceremoniously to the concrete ground.

The main impact of her fall was absorbed by her left side, which was a blessing seeing as it was her right leg that had been smashed. But she still was unable to stifle the groan that was pushed from her lips. Sadly this small noise was enough to inform her torturer of her intentions and she immediately heard the interrogator scramble for her in the darkness. Then she felt two rough hands pulling her from the ground sharply. (F/n) cried out in pain as her broken leg was forced into a standing position, making her see flashes of white as the battered bones protested.

“Show yourself!” The man shouted into the dark, holding (F/n) closer to him as she now dry-heaved. “Or I kill the woman!”

Several horrible seconds ticked by, as the man continued to shout out threats, before the hangar lights once more flickered on. All of the men that had been in the large room were down, and showed no inclination of recovering anytime soon. But there was no sign of the one who had wrecked such havoc. Not a single sound or trace of where they might have gone.

“SHOW YOURSELF!” The man boomed frantically as he pointed his gun at his target’s head. “I’LL SHOOT HER RIGHT NOW!!!”

“N-No you won’t,” (F/n) choked out between gasps, before she pushed past her pain and reached around the man’s neck in a lightening flash of movement. Then, as he was about to pull the trigger, the woman flexed her hands and snapped his neck harshly to the side. The echo of the fatal hit was deafening, but the cry that came after it when he slumped on her bad leg was even worse.

(F/n), unable to keep her balance, fell with the now dead man, and hit the floor once again. And it was as she writhed in pain, that her rescuer made himself known. He was grimy and was covered in bruises from the brawl earlier that day, but there was no questioning that it was Captain America.

He rushed over to (F/n) and quickly knelt down beside her, bringing her into an embrace the moment he was in reach. And the agent let him, crying with both pain and happiness as she wrapped her arms around him.

“Looks like you didn’t need me after all,” Steve whispered, speaking of the man she had just taken out.

(F/n) laughed shakily and shook her head, “I took out one, and you took out twenty. MVP award goes to you, love. . . Thanks for coming to get me. . . I’d be in trouble if you hadn’t.”

Steve laughed now, though it was a somewhat strained sound, as he lifted his eyes from (F/n)’s face to her disfigured leg. “You would have figured something out. You aren’t Cinderella, remember?”

(F/n) gave him a bittersweet smile as she too looked down at her ruined leg. “This time I was.”

Though he tried to keep his emotions in check, several tears grew in the Avenger’s eyes as he placed a kiss to her forehead. It was obvious to both of them that (F/n)’s leg was permanently damaged. There was hardly any true structure to it, now that most of her bones had been crushed with the sledge hammer. She would most likely lose her leg completely, as well as her position as a field agent for S.H.I.E.L.D.  

“No sweetheart,” he said affectionately as he lifted (F/n) up and began to carry her out of the hangar. “We’re partners.  _Equals_.”

“Not now,” (F/n) said, gesturing to her leg. But Steve Rogers shook his head.

“Always, (F/n).”

It might have seemed like a comforting falsehood that he said merely to calm her. But it wasn’t. Despite the fact that she was almost delirious with pain and grief, the woman knew that her beloved meant what he said. He was her equivalent, one hundred percent, and he wasn’t giving up on her. She had paid the price this time; but her man was picking up the extra change.

“Thank you, Steve.” She said, as Cap finished climbing the stairs and they entered out into the now chilly night air. The Super Soldier gave her a wistful smile as he held her closer to him.

“I love you too, (F/n).”

 


End file.
